Algeria face selection dilemma as three contenders emerge to replace Riyad Mahrez

Riyad Mahrez’s international retirement has left Algeria needing a new right-winger, but new coach Brahim Hemdani already has three strong candidates competing for the role.

Mohamed Bachir Belloumi, Ilan Kebbal and Anis Hadj Moussa have all earned call-ups after impressive performances for their clubs. All three are left-footed, attack-minded and capable of operating from the same area of the pitch, meaning the search for Mahrez’s successor has quickly become a selection problem rather than a shortage of options.

Belloumi appears to have made the biggest recent breakthrough. The Mohamed Bachir Belloumi is a Premier League starter for Hull City and has scored two goals and provided two assists in five matches. His most significant performance came at Chelsea, where he scored twice.

The Oran-born winger is direct, quick and comfortable cutting inside on to his left foot. His game is the closest of the three to that of a conventional right winger.

Belloumi, the son of Lakhdar Belloumi, has been held back by injuries for a long period and missed the last World Cup. He now has a strong desire to make up for lost time, and his name had already emerged as a credible option to succeed Mahrez.

Kebbal offers Hemdani a different type of player. The Paris FC midfielder is less explosive but highly effective between the lines. He can begin on the right, operate as a number 10 or move closer to the centre-forward.

A superb lob against Strasbourg underlined his excellent start to the season and his ability to influence a match with his technical quality. Like Belloumi, Kebbal was disappointed to miss the World Cup. That frustration, combined with his versatility, could persuade Hemdani to give him an important role, even if he is deployed away from the wing.

Hadj Moussa may currently hold a slight advantage. He scored twice on Sunday as Feyenoord defeated Utrecht 5-0, having also found the net twice against PEC Zwolle only a few days earlier.

The former Vitesse Arnhem player was used sparingly during the World Cup and later saw a move to Al-Ittihad fall through. He therefore has his own motivation to prove himself. His ability to beat defenders, unpredictability and experience in European football make him a natural candidate to take over from Mahrez.

Questions about whether Hadj Moussa could succeed the former Algeria captain had already been raised before his latest run of outstanding performances.

Hemdani must now decide whether to establish a clear pecking order or find a way to accommodate all three players. The competition could grow further, with Kail Boudache making an encouraging start at Olympique Lyonnais while continuing his development with Algeria Under-23s.

Algeria have rarely had so many credible choices in this position. Hemdani’s immediate challenge is no longer simply to find Mahrez’s heir, but to decide which of the three should receive his greatest trust.